Rule 5120-7-11 | Licensed Health Professional Recruiting Program.
(A) The purpose of this rule is to enhance the ability of the department to recruit and retain eligible, licensed health professionals pursuant to section 5120.55 of the Revised Code, as civil service employees in department operated correctional institutions or department operated health care program areas through a licensed health professionals loan recruitment program.
(B) The director, or the director's designee, in consultation with the department's medical director or chief psychiatrist, shall designate which department operated correctional institutions or department operated health care areas, on an as needed basis, may implement the licensed health professionals loan recruitment program.
(C) Program eligibility shall be limited to licensed health professionals who hold a current, valid license as set forth in division (A) of section 5120.55 of the Revised Code.
(D) The department may implement this program through written agreements with individual licensed health professionals, approved by the director or the director's designee. These agreements shall be contingent upon funds being available pursuant to section 126.07 of the Revised Code. The written agreements shall be for a term of one year, renewable annually, for not more than a total of four years, contingent upon satisfactory annual performance reviews. If a licensed health professional does not complete the agreed upon one full year of service or fails to comply with other specified terms of the agreement, the licensed health professional will pay the department a specified amount as damages, which shall be no less than the amount already paid by the department pursuant to its agreement.
(E) Funds for the loan repayment may come from funds allocated from the general revenue fund as allocated by the general assembly to the department.
(F) Funds for the loan repayment will be disbursed at the licensed health professional's completion of agreed upon hours of service or the licensed health professional's annual employment anniversary date, whichever occurs later.
(G) A licensed health professional, approved for loan repayment, shall provide verified documentation of the outstanding loan amounts agreed to be repaid by the department. Loans eligible for repayment are limited to those that remain outstanding for up to fifteen years from the completion of the licensed health professional's accredited training program.
(H) Loan amounts eligible for repayment shall consist of the principal, interest and related expenses on government and commercial loans received by the licensed health professionals, which are directly related to education for the medical degree and specialty training, and may include only tuition, reasonable room and board, and all other educational expenses including feeds, books, and laboratory expenses.
(I) At no time will the repaid loan amounts exceed the amount of the outstanding loans for costs incurred during the years the licensed health professional was attending an accredited medical or osteopathic medical school, residency or fellowship.
(1) A licensed health professional working one thousand forty hours or more in a twelve-month period may enter into a loan repayment agreement that would pro rate the amount of loan repayment against the annualized hours worked.
(2) Licensed health professionals working less than one thousand forty hours in a twelve-month period would not be eligible for the program.
(J) A licensed health professional:
Upon establishment of funding source(s) may request to participate in a licensed health professionals loan recruitment program through written request to the director or the director's designee;
(K) The director or director's designee:
(1) Will ensure the licensed health professional meets all criteria for civil service employment;
(2) Will ensure the licensed health professional abides by all department rules and policies;
(3) Will verify hours worked, as a full time civil service employment licensed health professional, prior to the distribution of funds on the licensed health professional's anniversary date of employment or upon completion of the agreed hours of service, whichever occurs later;
(4) Will ensure completion, by the chief clinician or appropriate staff, of an annual performance review of the licensed health professional and provide a copy of that to the director or designee at the time of the request for a renewed loan repayment agreement; and
(5) Will sign the loan repayment agreement along with the licensed health professional to enact the year-long program.
(6) The loan agreement must also be signed by the chief clinician of the department.
Last updated January 24, 2024 at 4:36 PM
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